OCR

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THE NICKEL LIBRARY.
middle of the room, and gazed wildly about
"Baiiledl" fell from his lips. “Hugh
Marston has more shrewdness than we have
credited him with. We mustforce the truth
from the man below."
Captain Lacy did not stay to examine the
room.
It was enough for him to know that Esta
was not there.
“Where’s the Eir1?"asked Harold before
Lacy could spea .
“Ask the man you are choking," replied
Lacy.
Instantly the angers of the spy relaxed
their grip.
The porter staggered back with a faint
’ him.
Sasgf . .
“ on have killed him! He will never
speak again!” cried Lacy.
“I guess not,” said Sincoe.
The man was insensible, that was all, and
the comrades at once sought to restore him
to consciousness, a task which was not com-
pleted for several minutes.
“Was there a lady upstairs?" asked the
man.
“Yes."
"I did not,know it."
“Beware! flashed Lacy. “No lies, my
man.
“1 shall give you neither. I came to this
house awhile ago to see my friend. Allen
Bostwick,who has been staying here for one
Hugh Marston. who often comes down here
from the lsland. I found the door unlocked
, and thinking that Allen had gone out for
awhilt-,I was waiting for him when you
men.came. As I hope to live a hundred
years this is true."
The man’s manner impressed ,Sincoe and
acy.
He was telling the truth.
“We will wait awhile for your friend,”the
spy said.
hey waited an hour, but Bostwick did not
come.
‘ There is another channel through which
we may reach the truth,”suddenly exclaimed
Sincoe. “Come, Lacy. We will go back to
our delectable Hugh. He has had a whole
gasynin which to play this shrewd game of
Once more they were threading the streets
of New York.
Tm-y directed their steps toward ‘the
vi hart, and passed Bentwick’s tavern on the
way.
"Beaten again!" cried the spy, coming
to aiudden halt within sight of the star-
lslel.nl;:I;v‘.t,5l'. "Look, Lacy, where is the Homo-
The Yankee smuggler uttered a cry of
bitter disappointment when he saw the
place so lately occupied by the Homoselle
vacated.
“Captain Mainspar was not to leave till
daylight," he cried.
“Something has happened to hasten his
departure. The fates are against us to-night,
acw’
" e may learn something at Bentwick's
about this sudden sailing,” responded Lacy,
turning away.
The two entered the tavern by a rear door,
and sent a bar maid for the overseer of the
taproom.
“You here?” exclaimed the fellow, as he
entered the presence of the two worthies,
his eyes dilating with astonishment.
“As you see.
“Where were you when the soldiers were
here?”
“The soldiers?” echoed the two men in a
breath.
“Why, don't you know? The red coats
are hunting you two. They were here not
an hour ago. They ransacked the whole
house and played smash with the liquors in
the cellar.
“They seemed to know that you had been
here-you must have been watched-for
they told me you had arrested a king’s man
in the taproom.”
The comrades stared at each other, unable
to s eak.
H“ hey didn’t oaway satisfied,”continued
the tapster. “ hey may come back very
soon.”
“But the Homoselle i” queried Sincoe.
“She has quitted her moorings.”
1 ‘t‘lShe was not to have sailed until day-
ig t.”
“The soldiers hastened her departure.
They’re always meddling somewhere. Some
of the Homoselle's crew were insulted by
the soldiers while the house was being
searched, and in a fight that followed two
of the red coats were badly cut. They
forced the sailors back to the ship and
threatened to return to the barracks forhelp
and storm the vessel. Captain Mainspar
sent them word that they would have to
catch him if they wanted revenge, and so he
put out."
“That's unfortunate,” sighed the young
smuggler.
“Decidedly so," responded Harold Sin-
coe. “Everything seems to be against as
to-night."
“If the troops return Bentwick's will be
gutted.“
"Hark !”
Instantly the (ice of the tapster lost its
color.
“They are here now. They have discov-
ered that the Homoselle has outwitted them."
he cried. "Just listen to the scarlet slaves
of the British king!”
The next instant the noise of a door being
dashed open was heard, and a crowd 0
shouting, swearing soldiers rushed into the
taproom.